Social Marketing Systems and Methods

Abstract

Systems and methods for social marketing engage target markets in a game or competition, while marketing is targeted to the participants of the game or competition. The game or competition is designed to initially attract participants who might be interested in the products or services of a particular business. The game or competition is further designed to retain participants who are more likely to be interested in the products or services such that marketing efforts associated with the game or competition are more likely to reach a desirable target audience. The game or competition is designed to require increased engagement from participants over time, thereby narrowing the participant group to those most interested in the products or services associated with the competition. Marketing efforts can be modified over time during the game or competition to target the narrowed field of participants, namely those most interested in the products or services.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: 
     
         1 . A system for social marketing comprising:
 a competition server operating computer program code for implementing a method comprising:
 operating a game or competition, wherein the game or competition involves a plurality of participants, and wherein operating the game or competition comprises:
 receipt of an entry action from each of the participants, indicating entry into the game or competition; 
 initiating a countdown for each participant, the countdown indicating a deadline by which a further action must be taken by each participant to remain in the game or competition; 
 receipt of the further action from at least one of the participants, indicating the participant's desire to remain in the game or competition; 
 initiating a new countdown for each participant from whom the further action was received, the new countdown indicating a new deadline by which an action must be taken to remain in the game or competition; 
 receipt of the action selected from the group of the further action and the new further action from at least one of the participants; and 
 repeating the steps of initiating a new countdown and receipt of the action selected from the group of the further action and the new further action until a condition occurs selected from the group consisting of:
 a number of remaining participants equals a number of available prizes for the game or competition; and 
 a number of available prizes has been purchased out of the competition at then-available prices; and 
 
 
 electronically delivering marketing to the participants while the game is being operated. 
   
     
     
         2 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the competition server receives actions from the participants over a computer network. 
     
     
         3 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the competition server receives actions from the participants over the Internet. 
     
     
         4 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein operating the game or competition further comprises, in conjunction with the step of repeating the steps of initiating a new countdown and receipt of the action selected from the group of the further action and the new further action until a number of remaining participants equals a number of available prizes for the game or competition:
 evaluating whether the new countdown should be made shorter than an immediately previous countdown;   when the new countdown should be made shorter than the immediately previous countdown, making the new countdown shorter than the immediately previous countdown; and   when the new countdown should not be made shorter than the immediately previous countdown, making the new countdown the same as the immediately previous countdown.   
     
     
         5 . A system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein electronically delivering marketing to the participants while the game is being operated comprises varying the marketing delivered to the participants as a function of a game or competition progress measure, the progress measure being selected from the group of:
 an amount of time that has passed since initiation of the game or competition;   a rate of change in a number of participants remaining in the game or competition;   a number of participants remaining in the game or competition; and   a length of the new countdown.   
     
     
         6 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program code for implementing a method comprising:
 operating a game or competition, wherein the game or competition involves a plurality of participants, and wherein operating the game or competition comprises:
 receipt of an entry action from each of the participants, indicating entry into the game or competition; 
 initiating a countdown for each participant, the countdown indicating a deadline by which a further action must be taken by each participant to remain in the game or competition; 
 receipt of the further action from at least one of the participants, indicating the participant's desire to remain in the game or competition; 
 initiating a new countdown for each participant from whom the further action was received, the new countdown indicating a new deadline by which an action must be taken to remain in the game or competition; 
 receipt of the action selected from the group of the further action and the new further action from at least one of the participants; and 
 repeating the steps of initiating a new countdown and receipt of the action selected from the group of the further action and the new further action until a condition occurs selected from the group consisting of:
 a number of remaining participants equals a number of available prizes for the game or competition; and 
 a number of available prizes has been purchased out of the competition at then-available prices; and 
 
   electronically delivering marketing to the participants while the game is being operated.   
     
     
         7 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 6 , wherein actions are received from the participants over a computer network. 
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 6 , wherein actions are received from the participants over the Internet. 
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 6 , wherein operating the game or competition further comprises, in conjunction with the step of repeating the steps of initiating a new countdown and receipt of the action selected from the group of the further action and the new further action until a number of remaining participants equals a number of available prizes for the game or competition:
 evaluating whether the new countdown should be made shorter than an immediately previous countdown;   when the new countdown should be made shorter than the immediately previous countdown, making the new countdown shorter than the immediately previous countdown; and   when the new countdown should not be made shorter than the immediately previous countdown, making the new countdown the same as the immediately previous countdown.   
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 9 , wherein electronically delivering marketing to the participants while the game is being operated comprises varying the marketing delivered to the participants as a function of a game or competition progress measure, the progress measure being selected from the group of:
 an amount of time that has passed since initiation of the game or competition;   a rate of change in a number of participants remaining in the game or competition;   a number of participants remaining in the game or competition; and   a length of the new countdown.   
     
     
         11 . A method for social marketing comprising:
 operating a game or competition, wherein the game or competition involves a plurality of participants, and wherein operating the game or competition comprises:
 receipt of an entry action from each of the participants, indicating entry into the game or competition; 
 initiating a countdown for each participant, the countdown indicating a deadline by which a further action must be taken by each participant to remain in the game or competition; 
 receipt of the further action from at least one of the participants, indicating the participant's desire to remain in the game or competition; 
 initiating a new countdown for each participant from whom the further action was received, the new countdown indicating a new deadline by which an action must be taken to remain in the game or competition; 
 receipt of the action selected from the group of the further action and the new further action from at least one of the participants; and 
 repeating the steps of initiating a new countdown and receipt of the action selected from the group of the further action and the new further action until a condition occurs selected from the group consisting of:
 a number of remaining participants equals a number of available prizes for the game or competition; and 
 a number of available prizes has been purchased out of the competition at then-available prices; and 
 
   electronically delivering marketing to the participants while the game is being operated.   
     
     
         12 . A method as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the competition server receives actions from the participants over a computer network. 
     
     
         13 . A method as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the competition server receives actions from the participants over the Internet. 
     
     
         14 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein operating the game or competition further comprises, in conjunction with the step of repeating the steps of initiating a new countdown and receipt of the action selected from the group of the further action and the new further action until a number of remaining participants equals a number of available prizes for the game or competition:
 evaluating whether the new countdown should be made shorter than an immediately previous countdown;   when the new countdown should be made shorter than the immediately previous countdown, making the new countdown shorter than the immediately previous countdown; and   when the new countdown should not be made shorter than the immediately previous countdown, making the new countdown the same as the immediately previous countdown.   
     
     
         15 . A method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein electronically delivering marketing to the participants while the game is being operated comprises varying the marketing delivered to the participants as a function of a game or competition progress measure, the progress measure being selected from the group of:
 an amount of time that has passed since initiation of the game or competition;   a rate of change in a number of participants remaining in the game or competition;   a number of participants remaining in the game or competition; and   a length of the new countdown.